Always Be Mine
by nerd4rice725
Summary: She took her last breath, but then she woke up. AKA my attempt to flesh out my one shot "Be Mine". M for later chapters
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello there! It's been a hot minute since I've posted here, but I really wanted to take a jab at writing a James/Hermione.. or really just a Hermione/Marauders fic where she gets flung back to the first war. So with that being said, many apologies if at times the characters may seem a bit OOC for your liking, but I guess that's part of the beauty of trying new things, right? See what works and what doesn't... anyways, here we go! Hope you enjoy :)

 **Disclaimer:** Anything Harry Potter is not mine.

* * *

Her arm was burning.

 _Mudblood_. That's what she carved into her arm. She convulsed, partly as an after effect of the cruciatus and partly as a distraction from the searing pain. A single tear rolled down the side of her face. The cackle that was Bellatrix's laugh rang through the room.

 _It will be worth it in the end_. She kept telling herself that.

A few moments later she was able to register Harry and Ron's presence. _They got out!_ They were going to get out of here!

 _Clink!_

She looked up to see the image of a falling chandelier. It seemed to get larger and closer by the second. She turned her head towards Ron, exhaling for the last time.

"Hermione!"

* * *

Rolanda Hooch had just dismissed her first years when she heard a thud nearby. After waving the remaining training brooms to be put away, she turned towards where she heard the noise.

"Merlin," she whispered, running towards the unconscious body of an unknown woman.

Her clothes were covered in dirt and blood. Her left sleeve was bunched up above her elbow, the word "Mudblood" etched on her skin, still freshly dripping with blood. Her eyes were closed, lips partly open. She looked almost serene, as if she had just dozed off for a nap.

She tried her best to hold down the tears as she prepared to take the woman's body to the infirmary. She conjured a gurney and a simple sheet to cover her body as she transported her to be seen by Poppy. She said very little as she rushed her through the halls and to the infirmary.

"Headmaster," she greeted, trying to find a way to explain how she found an unknown woman on school grounds.

Dumbledore gave a slight nod. "Let's get her inside, shall we?" He allowed Rolanda to enter first before shutting the doors behind him.

"Poppy, we seem to have an unexpected guest," Dumbledore said, waving the nurse over to where Rolanda laid the body down.

Poppy came over, gasping slightly before removing the sheet to assess any injuries. She removed her clothing, revealing many scars – too many, for someone so young. Dumbledore dismissed Rolanda from the infirmary, offering to stay until their guest was stabilized. Poppy meticulously removed each piece of shattered glass that embedded itself onto her face, chest, and arms. Her breathing was shallow, but she was slowly coming to. The last wound she tried to heal was the one on her arm, but any attempt to heal did not yield any results.

"Headmaster," Poppy sadly said, trying again to heal the injury. "There are a few of these cuts I cannot heal."

Dumbledore looked over at the cuts Poppy was referring to. "These wounds must have been made by some kind of dark magic. We won't know unless the young woman can tell us what happened to her." The nurse gave a nod and bandaged what she could before retreating to her office.

* * *

It was nightfall by the time Hermione opened her eyes. She looked down and noticed she was not in the clothes she remembered wearing last. She looked around, her eyes growing wide as she realized where she was.

"Ah, I see you have awaken." She turned towards the voice, and was surprised to see none other than Albus Dumbledore.

Her mind ran a mile a minute trying to understand what was going on in front of her. On one hand, she's happy she survived Malfoy Manor in one piece and that she is somewhere where she knew she could feel safe. On the other hand, Albus Dumbledore was standing right in front of her, and she knew for a fact that he shouldn't be. Her mind momentarily went back to that horrible night.

"Forgive me sir, but what year is it?" Hermione asked, wanting to know if her conclusion as to why Dumbledore was alive is correct.

"1978," he replied.

Hermione let out a quick huff, trying to figure out how she woke up in 1978. Did she somehow activate her time turner? Is there some form of magic that was activated at Malfoy Manor? Was she actually dead, and this is her afterlife?

"I also wonder how you have managed to end up here, young lady," Dumbledore said, now realizing by her response that she is not from his time. He stepped forward from the foot of her bed so that he could sit next to her legs. With a slight wave of his hand, he cast a _muffliato_ before proceeding.

"Your injuries were quite extensive and some, Poppy has discovered, seem to be made by dark magic," he started, frowning. "You seem to be so young to have amassed such scarring."

 _"You know the laws, Miss Granger."_ Dumbledore's warning replayed in her mind. She chose to stay silent, fearing that anything she would say would alter history (or future) as she knew it.

"When you are fully healed, I'd like you to come to my office, so that we may discuss your situation. Until then, Miss?"

"Hermione," she said softly. "Just Hermione."

Dumbledore smiled softly, the twinkle still flickering in his eyes. "Hermione." He waved his hand to cancel the _muffliato_ charm before leaving the infirmary.

* * *

"That was a bad one, Moony," Sirius said, holding one side of Remus up while James was on the other. Peter was behind them,his right leg throbbing in pain from slamming into the wall.

Once a month, Sirius, James, and Peter sneak away to the Shrieking Shack to keep their young werewolf friend, Remus company during the full moon. Together, the four are known as the Marauders, and they are an unstoppable force when together.

Especially when they pull off their signature pranks throughout the year.

Tonight was especially taxing on them, though. The three boys were quite used to Remus in whatever condition he was in come each full moon, but tonight he was especially stubborn and restless. During the day, James noticed Remus was a bit more irritable, especially towards Sirius, who was oblivious to it all. When night fell and it was time for them to make their way to the Shrieking Shack, James had to play buffer between Sirius and Remus. Sirius couldn't keep his mouth shut and poor Remus just "had it up to here" with him.

Moony was finally able to vent his frustration and irritability towards Padfoot, the black dog being tossed around every now and then. Prongs huffed, scratching his antlers against a wall and periodically nudging the two when things were starting to get out of control. Wormtail skittered through the room, trying to dodge and get away from the other three large animals in the room. He was not successful, as he caught the end of Prongs hoof, which sent him launching into the nearest wall.

The Marauders took their special route to the infirmary, waving at Poppy as they laid Remus down in his usual bed. Poppy sighed, knowing she would be with this particular student for the next hour or two until he finally would agree to rest.

Sirius looked over two beds down. "Hey James, looks like Moony will have someone to keep him company," he said, pointing to the sleeping girl.

James looked over to who Sirius was pointing at, taken aback by what he saw.

The girl had chestnut brown curls surrounding her face, which looked like it had seen its share of hardship. Her face looked serene, but hardened, her brow slightly furrowing as she slept. Her chest rose and fell in a rhythm that matched his own.

"Does she even go here? I've never seen her around the halls," Sirius said, intrigued by the new face.

"Mr. Black," Poppy quietly hissed, shaking her head as she attended to Remus.

The remaining three Marauders said their goodbyes to the nurse before retreating to Gryffindor tower to get some rest. After several routine potions had been administered to the young werewolf, Poppy also took the quiet time to get some sleep.

* * *

The sun was rising as Hermione woke up. She felt better than the day before, most of the soreness gone, thanks to the potions she was instructed to take. She sat up, stretching her arms up above her head.

She saw movement in her peripherals, and quickly turned her head to see who was there. Her body went rigid, almost defensively, then immediately softened once she realized who was staring at her.

A young and tired Remus Lupin was looking at her, amazement and confusion in his eyes when he asked, "Do I know you?"


	2. Chapter 2

_The day of the full moon_

Remus Lupin is not known to be anything but soft spoken, fair, and intelligent. Besides his lycanthropy, Remus is just your average boy with a rowdy group of friends, just trying to get through Hogwarts.

Every month Remus would transform into a werewolf, thanks (but no thanks) to Fenrir Greyback. He never asked for it, nor did he really want any part of it, but he has taken his situation in stride. Before becoming a student at Hogwarts, his monthly transformations were miserable, painful, and lonely.

It was the one night during the month when his mother would be the saddest.

Fast forward to Hogwarts and three friends in tow, Remus didn't have to worry about being miserable or lonely during his transformations anymore. James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew went from being dorm mates with Remus to his closest group of friends he has ever had.

Over the years, they have gotten used to Remus and his mood swings, especially when the full moon was close. When he was having his bad days, James and Sirius knew to keep their mouth shut, but Peter never realizes it until it's too late.

"Shut it, Peter!" Remus said, irritably. He rubbed his face, trying to calm the wolf inside. Moony was itching to come to the surface, and Remus has been trying to keep him down until the full moon.

Peter flinched. "Sorry, Moony, just thought it would help."

"Oi Moony," Sirius said, nudging the werewolf. "What's gotten into you? We've never seen you like this before."

"I'm not sure, Pads. Something just doesn't feel right." Remus sighed, rubbing his temples. Moony has been non-stop running around inside of him and it has taken a great deal of energy to keep him down. He was barely getting any sleep, and throughout the day he would find himself looking for someone, but he wasn't sure who he was looking for.

"Well, whatever it is I hope it goes away after tonight. You haven't been much of yourself lately," James chimed in, adjusting his glasses. He looked at Remus, noting the dark circles under his eyes showing what little sleep he's been getting.

The rest of the day flew by as quickly as it had started. When the group got together for dinner, Remus seemed more haggard and worn than before, obviously from having to keep Moony at bay. The 4 boys quickly ate then sneaked their way towards the Shrieking Shack. Sirius tried to lighten the mood by nudging Remus around as they walked the grassy area towards their secret entrance, but it sorely backfired when Remus had enough and shoved him to the ground.

"That's what you get!" James cackled, lending his hand out to help Sirius off of the grass.

The night went on, just like any other full moon, with the exception of a very irritated werewolf and three animagus trying to figure out what was going on with their friend.

When Remus had regained full consciousness, he realized he was already in the infirmary, tucked in and laying in his usual bed reserved for him on these nights.

 _She's here._

Remus took a breath and realized his recent urge to look for something had disappeared at the new scent filling his nostrils. He sat up and looked around, and saw only one other bed being occupied. The sun was slowly rising, and the sunlight softened her hardened face. He sat there and watched as the sun slowly rose, and Hermione started to stir.

"Do I know you?" Remus asked, looking at her.

When he was able to fully see her face, he had this gut feeling that he had seen her before, but he can't remember where. Moony seemed to recognize her, and immediately calmed when he realized she was there.

He felt like he was going certified insane.

"No," Hermione said, cautiously.

 _"You know the laws, Miss Granger."_

Dumbledore's warning was causing a constant war between her heart and her mind. Remus was someone she had started to confide with when they were staying at Grimmauld Place. He was one of the few people that she would be able to match intellectually, and she cherished her nights with him when they would sit in the library and read, each not minding the other. Her mind momentarily went back to the last night she had seen him, his face worn down with worry and fear.

Remus was still trying to understand what was going on. In his mind, he knew he had never seen this girl before. _Moony_ , on the other hand, was acting like she was the missing piece. Remus had to mentally calm the wolf down or else he would have been right at her bedside. His eyes momentarily flickered from green to gold as he struggled to contain the wolf within.

At that very moment, Dumbledore came walking through the infirmary doors, smiling both at Remus and Hermione.

"Good morning, both of you," he said, nodding to both Remus and Hermione. He walked over to Remus and gently patted his covered foot. Remus looked at him with a tight smile, silently wondering what he knew about this mysterious girl.

"How are you feeling, Mister Lupin?" he asked, looking at the young boy.

"I'm well, thank you Professor," Remus quietly said. Dumbledore nodded and walked towards Hermione.

"And you, my dear?" he asked, stopping at the foot of her bed. "How are you healing?"

"Much better than yesterday, Professor," Hermione replied, wringing the blanket through her hands. "Yesterday you said you wanted to speak with me. Is now a good time?"

Dumbledore nodded as she slid off of the bed. She was still wearing the same jeans, shirt, and jacket, the faint scent of blood hitting Remus like a light breeze. Hermione saw his eyes flicker from green to gold again, and held her breath as she walked past him.

The doors to the infirmary slammed open as three familiar faces ran in. Hermione's eyes widened when she realized they were none other than Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, and not Harry Potter.

 _'He looks so much like his father,'_ she thought, looking into his hazel eyes at the same time he looked into hers. She quickly looked away, but caught the beginning of a smirk forming on his face.

The voices of the Marauders faded away as she followed Dumbledore to his office.

* * *

"Fizzing Whizbees."

The gargoyle that stood at the entrance to Dumbledore's office turned, revealing stone steps that led to a large room, filled with interesting trinkets, a large desk, and a familiar phoenix. She smiled at the bird, filled with nostalgia and thinking about the time when he came to help Harry.

Merlin, did she miss her friends.

"I am quite curious, Hermione, how you were able to take such a trip," Dumbledore said, taking a seat at his desk. He folded his hands on his desk, looking at this strange girl who has shown up at his school. There was only one way Hermione was able to make it this far, but it was damn near impossible to actually make the jump and live to tell the tale.

Then there was the mystery of the how she sustained the injuries she did. Any witch or wizard can see that she has probably experienced more than your average seventeen year old. The dark magic she was exposed to gave him just enough evidence to know their fight was long from over.

Hermione looked at him closely, constantly replaying his third year warning in her head.

 _"You know the laws, Ms. Granger."_

She battled with her heart and her mind. She knew she couldn't expose much about herself or what has happened in her time. If she were to alter anything, it would alter everything she knew, and she didn't know what would happen if she did.

She knew enough of the past to know that they were at the cusp of Voldemort's rise. The Marauders were still in school, which meant they weren't in the Order just yet, and Harry was still a twinkle in James Potter and Lily Evans' eyes. Peter hasn't had the chance to betray his friends, Sirius hasn't been sent to Azkaban, and Professor Snape hasn't had the chance to reveal the prophecy to Voldemort yet.

 _'Well, I guess he isn't a professor yet,'_ she thought.

She had a chance to end the war before it had even had the chance to start, but could she do it without altering what she knew of the future?

"I have an idea," she said, taking a chance.

Dumbledore simply pushed his half-moon glasses up his nose. "I'm listening."

Hermione naturally brought her hand up to her chest, as if trying to grab a necklace that used to be there. "In my third year, I was authorized to take additional classes on top of my normal class load, and I was given permission to use a time turner to attend all my classes."

Dumbledore chuckled. "You must be an exceptional witch to be able to attain that approval."

Hermione smiled, relishing in her memories of that year.

"Then my suspicions are true, then. I am even more curious, though, as to exactly how you made it here." Dumbledore stood and walked around to the front of his desk, facing Hermione.

"You know the laws, Hermione," he said, softly. "I understand if you wish to say nothing more."

She nodded, looking down at her feet. "I need to wrap my head around all of this before I can tell you anything."

Dumbledore looked at her and smiled. He wasn't going to get anything out of her today.

"Do you have a place to stay for the time being?" he asked.

Hermione shook her head. "No, sir. I was going to see if there was a room available at the Three Broomsticks." She shuddered at the thought of having to go out in public, but she did not feel comfortable staying in the castle right now.

"You are more than welcome to stay here. I believe Minerva would be able to make some room for you in Gryffindor Tower," Dumbledore said, a hint of mischief in his voice.

Hermione looked at him and smiled. _'I think he knows more than he lets on,'_ she thought.

"Thank you for the offer, but I will have to think about it."

* * *

The walk back to Gryffindor tower was especially long this time around.

"What's a matter with you Moony?" Sirius asked, patting his friend on the back.

"That girl in the hospital wing," Remus said, running his hands through his hair. "The wolf _knew_ her."

"Knew her?" James echoed. "How does he know who she is? We've never seen her before in all our years here."

"I don't know how to explain it Prongs. He just knows her, knows her scent. He needs to protect her." Remus looked over at Sirius. "Don't give me that look."

"What look?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"It's not what you think," Remus said, and Sirius looked almost relieved at that statement. "The wolf recognizes her as part of his pack. But I've never seen her in my life. I have no idea who she is!"

James pushed his way in between Remus and Sirius and slung his arms around both of them. "I think we have some investigating to do, boys!"


	3. Chapter 3

It's been a couple of weeks since Hermione had spoken to Dumbledore, and she was quite successful in laying low for the time being. She was able to secure a room above the Three Broomsticks through Madame Rosmerta, who looked much younger this time around. She had told Hermione to "not worry herself" with payment. No doubt, Hermione knew, Dumbledore had informed Rosmerta of Hermione's arrival and needs. For the first time in a long time, Hermione was able to live a quiet life. The first few days, she was busy running errands both in Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, also with the help of Dumbledore. She wasn't quite sure why the Headmaster was going out of his way to assist her, but she thought he must be slowly realizing how valuable Hermione could be to him.

With Dumbledore's help, she was able to put some money away in her vault, purchase new clothing, a wand (seeing a younger and happier Ollivander was a relief to see), and a few books, both to pass the time and to research her situation. She spent most days in her room, reading her books or answering the occasional owl from Dumbledore.

There wasn't much information on time travel and dark magic that she could find in Flourish and Blotts, which frustrated her. What was left of the time turner she was wearing before she landed in 1978 was lying in a heap of gold chain on her small nightstand next to her wand. The time turner left a small mark on her chest, no doubt from the Malfoy Manor. She was going nowhere with the information she had at the moment, so she decided to leave her room for a bit to clear her head.

* * *

James and Remus were wondering through Honeydukes while Sirius and Peter were at Zonko's checking out new merchandise. They haven't seen Hermione since the day she was in the hospital wing with Remus, and they were all curious about the new girl.

"You got enough chocolate there, Moony?" James teased, waving at the basket full of chocolate.

Remus ran his hand through his hair. "I ate the rest of it a few days ago."

James laughed as they made their way to the cashier. James paid for his basket first, then stepped aside to let Remus pay. As he was shoving his money back into his pocket, he looked up and saw a familiar head of chestnut curls. Her eyes grew wide once she realized he had noticed her, and turned to walk away.

"James?" Remus questioned, watching as the Marauder sprinted out the door. He followed him out the door and nearly ran into him.

"She was here," James said, looking around for her. "I saw her! She was here!"

"Who?" Remus asked, looking around the path. James huffed as he laughed at his friend. "You've gone mental, James."

"Nonsense," James said with a mischievous smirk on his face. "The girl that was in the hospital wing with you. She was right here and she was looking at us!"

James wasn't quite sure why he was so adamant on meeting the mysterious girl. There was something about her that he couldn't understand, and he wanted to find out why. There was no doubt he still had the hots for Lily Evans, but there's just something about this girl that he needed to get out of his system.

Remus thought James fell off the deep end, and shoved him playfully.

* * *

Hermione leaned against the cold brick wall, closing her eyes and focusing on her breathing. _'That was a close one,'_ she thought, thinking back to the moment her and James locked eyes on each other.

There was something in his look that struck a chord with her. May be it's his uncanny resemblance to Harry, but there is just something about looking at him that made her heart skip a beat, and it terrified her. She knew where the timeline had to go, she couldn't risk altering key events that she knew needed to happen if she had any chance of making it back to her normal life.

Once her breathing had evened out, she cautiously made her way back onto the path. She was careful in trying to not make any eye contact with anyone as she made her way back to her room. She passed by Zonko's, looking longingly at the joke shop and remembering Fred and George.

She only made it to the next storefront before she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Her body tensed defensively, her hand quickly grabbing her wand and turning to point it at whoever was behind her. Her mind ran a mile a minute, replaying her time on the run with Harry and Ron, and the countless times she was close to being attached at Hogwarts. She even thought about second year, when she found out about the Basilisk and her time she spent petrified in the hospital wing.

She could feel the sweat on her face, and her breathing intensified.

"It's just me! The guy that was in the hospital wing with you. I mean no harm," Remus said, showing his hands to her to convince her that he was not a threat.

Hermione looked at him with hardened eyes. She didn't mean to react in the way she did, now knowing who was at the end of her wand, but that reaction had become second nature to her.

She lowered her wand, but didn't put it away. "What do you want?" she asked. She winced a bit, knowing it came out a bit harsh.

"Don't be afraid," Remus said, his eyes flickering to gold. "You don't have to be like that around me."

Moony was aching for her, and Remus was having a hard time keeping the wolf inside. He hated having to fight with his other self, and the more he tried to keep him back, the more the wolf tried to push back.

"You don't understand," she replied, her heart shattering. "I shouldn't even be talking to you."

Hermione could tell Remus was struggling with himself. Spending so much time together at Grimmauld made her grow accustomed to his various moods, and she was able to tell when Remus was trying to hide something. Their nights in the library made their friendship grow, and at some point Moony began to recognize her as part of his little pack, someone he cared for and needed to protect. He never told her, but she was always a clever girl. There was no doubt in Remus' mind that she would have figured it out on her own.

"You don't even know who I am!" he sighed, rubbing his face. He couldn't understand Moony being so insistent right now about this girl.

"Remus! You found her!"

Both Remus and Hermione looked at James, who was currently exiting Zonko's with the rest of the Marauders in tow. Hermione gasped as Remus groaned.

"I did not find her," he said, sternly.

"I'm sorry, I have to go," Hermione quickly said, turning on her heels and continuing her way back to the Three Broomsticks.

"Missed her again!" James said, defeatedly.

* * *

"I don't understand," Remus said as the Marauders lounged around in the Gryffindor common room. He couldn't stop thinking about the girl, and Moony became restless after she fled.

"Understand what, Moony? Do you fancy this bird?" Sirius asked, almost sounding jealous.

"No, absolutely not," Remus said, trying to convince himself. "But _the wolf_ keeps insisting that we make sure she's safe. He thinks she's part of our _pack_."

Sirius chuckled, slinging an arm around Remus. "Well, Moony, if she's a part of our pack-"

"Pads..." James warned.

"Then let's bring her in!"

* * *

That was _too close_ for comfort.

She couldn't stay here anymore. She needed help, and she knew where she had to go. It was the last place she would rather be, but with no other options, she decided against her own judgement to send an owl to Dumbledore.

She paced her room, swallowing her anxiety while also trying to construct a backup plan if she couldn't stay at Hogwarts. She was already putting together a backstory to tell students who might get a little too curious.

It was night by the time the owl came back with a response, which simply read:

 _You are most welcome to stay here at Hogwarts. A room has been prepared for you at Gryffindor Tower, please come at your earliest convenience._


	4. Chapter 4

"Lily Evans!" James said, dreamily. He crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back against the couch in the Gryffindor common room. After years of successfully failing to ask her out on a date, she finally agreed to go with him on their next Hogsmeade trip.

"Took you long enough," Remus said quietly as he flipped through his potions textbook. He was the lucky one to hear about the love story of Lily and James from both sides. When Lily and Remus would meet during the week to study, she always told him something about James, whether it's about his loud mouth or how she thinks James plays Quidditch so recklessly. He was curious to see how Lily will explain what really happened when she accepted his offer.

The boys lounged around in the common room, talking about their upcoming pranks, girls, and, in James' case, Lily. It was mostly banter between Sirius and James, with Remus chiming in his two cents. Peter was in the library studying with some other students.

At some point during their conversation, the boys decided to take a walk around the school. It was a Saturday, and Sirius decided he wanted to get himself into some mischief.

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good," James whispered, pointing his wand at a blank parchment. Within seconds, ink appeared on the parchment, outlining the shape of Hogwarts and its hallways. Tiny footsteps floated through each of the hallways, a small banner with the name that belonged to those feet followed closely behind.

"Looks like Filch is patrolling again. Let's go on this side," Sirius said, pointing at one side of the map.

James nodded as he pointed his wand at the parchment again, whispering, "Mischief managed," waiting until the ink fully disappeared before handing it over to Remus. The three made their way back to the castle, laughing and talking about what they had planned to do. They decided to pass by the Quidditch Pitch on their way back, sneaking a peek at the Ravenclaws as they practiced. They passed several groups of students, some eyeing them suspiciously (mostly Slytherin) and some (mostly girls) trying to get Sirius' attention, which he gave with a simple wink.

As they turned the corner, Remus looked up to see a familiar set of brown curls. She was completely oblivious to the Marauders as she made her way into the library. He realized she was wearing a Hogwarts uniform, complete with Gryffindor tie.

"Hey, it's the girl!" Sirius said excitedly, pointing to the library door that she had just walked through. Before he could say another word, both James and Remus were already making their way into the library.

* * *

Hermione felt like she had no other choice, so she accepted Dumbledore's offer to stay at Hogwarts. To her relief, her living quarters in Gryffindor Tower were separate from the student dormitories, and her entrance was through a separate hallway. In the short time she has been at Hogwarts, she has had minimal student interactions, save for the few that frequent the library and seek her help.

She was in process of re-shelving some books when she heard the familiar sound of the library doors opening and closing, followed by several footsteps. 'Must be another study group,' she thought as she took a book from the stack next to her and held it upright until she felt the library's magic lift it to its resting place. She continued through several aisles, replacing books to their rightful, catalogued place.

"Prongs!"

Hermione turned, looking for who the voice belonged to.

"-fore she sees you!"

Her face paled for a moment when she realized it was Remus Lupin she was listening to. She quickly set the next book upright, and took off to the next aisle to set some distance between her and the werewolf.

As much as she wanted to befriend the young Remus, she was also terrified that her interactions with him would make changes to the future. She was still holding out for the chance to make it back to the future, and she didn't want to risk any of it changing because of any action she might make in the past. _'For the greater good, and for Harry,'_ she would remind herself when the urge became too great.

"You're a new face," a voice said next to her.

She gasped and turned to face a young Sirius Black. He still had the same black hair and that arrogant, cocky grin on his face. He looked very different during this time, clearly seeing the difference between pre-Azkaban and post-Azkaban. This Sirius didn't have a hardened face, but instead had a face full of happiness and mischief. These eyes didn't scream that he was betrayed, or that he had seen his best friend's body and his wife laying on the ground. His body was lean as ever, that never changed once he got into his adulthood. There were no tattoos peeking out of his collar, and, dare she think it, his hand was free of fire whiskey.

"Sirius Black," he said, winking as he shot his hand out.

Hermione looked at his hand as a million questions started racing in her mind.

"Miss Granger," she replied, nervously shaking his hand.

"See! That wasn't so bad," Sirius said towards the end of the aisle.

Hermione turned to see both James and Remus standing there. Remus stood with his eyes glued to Hermione, occasionally flickering between her and Sirius. Hermione could tell he was fighting Moony again, and his need to come and protect. Based on her relationship with her own Remus, she figured he sensed her uneasiness that was caused by Sirius. She gave a small smile to him, and almost instantly she noticed Remus' shoulders slump in relief.

"You were the one that was in the hospital wing with me," Remus said, taking a step forward. "And we ran into you down in Hogsmeade."

"That would be correct," she replied, turning and finally letting the book return to its shelf. "I apologize for running off, I was in a hurry to be somewhere. Is there anything that I can help you with?" she asked, her voice slightly trembling. Her eyes looked at all three of the Marauders, her hands firmly holding onto the book she was about to re-shelve, her knuckles turning white.

"We just saw you coming in here and thought we would introduce ourselves," Sirius said, dramatically bowing. James rolled his eyes at the grand gesture.

Remus stepped forward and introduced himself. "Remus Lupin," he said, putting his hand out. He could sense her heart rate elevating as she took his hand and shook it. "A pleasure to finally - and formally - meet you," he added with a chuckle.

Hermione laughed. "I suppose that's right, I apologize for how I acted before," she replied, a slight blush creeping up on her cheek. For someone that she had, until recently, became close to, she felt very shy seeing his younger counterpart. Memories of their late night readings flooded her mind as their hands separated.

"I'm James Potter," the last of the trio said, eagerly putting his hand out for her to shake. He looked at her with a bit of mischief in his eyes, his mouth turned up into a wide smile. He was finally able to look at her without risking her walking away, taking in her wild, curly hair, fair skin, and her hard, piercing eyes. He noticed she was now wearing staff robes over her Hogwarts uniform. "Are you a part of the staff?"

Hermione quietly gasped as she looked into James Potter's eyes. She felt like she was looking at her best friend again, and she had to mentally remind herself that this boy in front of her wasn't Harry. He was tall like Harry, but she could immediately tell that his father had more muscle on him, mostly due to the fact that he was a Chaser. They both had the same dark messy hair, and the same glasses with the same goofy smile. It was their eyes that were different, and that was what she had focused on to remind herself that this was not Harry.

"Yes and no," she answered, shaking James hand. His hands were soft, and she tried not to dwell on that thought too much. "I'm assisting here in the library while I take a few classes to complete my studies."

That wasn't the _complete_ truth, but they didn't have to know that.

"Well then, welcome to Hogwarts," James said, stepping a bit closer to Hermione, still not letting go of her hand. "Ms. Granger."

Sirius eyed the two suspiciously as Remus put his hand on James' shoulder. James lightly squeezed Hermione's hand before letting go and looking at Remus, who jerked his head towards a familiar redhead.

"I believe that is our cue to leave. See you soon, Ms. Granger," Remus said, waving to Hermione before following James who was practically levitating to an unsuspecting Lily.

"See you later, kitten," Sirius said, winking at her before following the werewolf.

Hermione huffed at the pet name before turning back to her stack of books. She returned two more books in that aisle before going to the next.

She spent the rest of her day in the library, stationing herself at the librarian's desk where she was able to monitor the students coming in and out. In front of her were the few books Hogwarts had on time travel, a roll of parchment, and her quill that was worse for wear. Sometime during her study session, she heard the Marauders leaving the library.

* * *

Much to Hermione's relief, she was able to avoid any other interactions with the Marauders. She would occasionally see Remus in the hallways or walking into the Library to meet with Lily for their study sessions, but they would only smile at each other before returning to what they were doing. Winter finally came and the halls were quiet once the students left to be home for the holidays.

The quietness of the school made Hermione realize that, not only does she need to figure out how to get back home, but there is also a war looming over everyone's head. It was painful for her to know what would be the outcome, knowing she cannot do anything to change it.

"If only I could save just one," she said to herself one day, chewing on her thumbnail as she walked through the deserted halls. She was looking down the whole time, brow furrowed in concentration, and it was too late before she realized there were another pair of feet in front of her.

Soft, familiar hands held her before she could fall back, and she looked up at Hazel eyes and black messy hair.

"Save one what?" James asked, looking into her brown eyes. She did not have the piercing stare that she did the last time they talked. She now had the look of surprise with a hint of innocence and annoyance. He stared at her as he breathed in her unique smell of fresh parchment and honey – an interesting combination.

"Nothing. It's nothing," she said hurriedly, stepping back from James who reluctantly let go of her. She took one last look at James before running off.

James watched as she hurried off, trying to understand what she was talking about. He couldn't get the smell of honey and parchment out of his mind, and followed the path she took around the corner, only to find her gone.


	5. Chapter 5

_Blah blah blah blah..._

That's what the professor sounded like to James and Sirius. They were itching for Ancient Runes to finish so that they could run out to the pitch and prepare for their game later on that day. Sirius was trying to stay awake while James wrote "Lily + James" all over his parchment. Remus was sitting behind them, dutifully taking proper notes. He was writing out his last bullet point when he noticed a change in the air. He always cringed, knowing when someone would enter or exit any classroom, but this time, he simply turned around to see a glimpse of Ms. Granger taking a seat in the very last row.

Hermione felt like she was making some progress in her Time Turner research, but she still felt like she was missing something. Professor Dumbledore has given her access to any and all classes being offered, and that she may sit in at any time. Although she has officially been staying at Hogwarts for only a few weeks, she didn't feel the need to sit in until now. She felt Ancient Runes would be a good place to start. She wasn't expecting to see the Marauders when she walked into the classroom. She silently cursed herself as she took the nearest seat and started taking note of the homework assignment that was up on the chalkboard.

Hermione couldn't help but stare at the back of their heads, thinking about how they are now and how future events have shaped them into who they became. She looked at Remus proudly and with so much respect. Out of the surviving Marauders, he was the one that hasn't changed much, just got a little older and a little wiser. He always looked after herself, Harry, and Ron, and she wanted to return his kindness and generosity by being an advocate for Werewolf rights, among other things. He was a constant reminder to her that there is always hope, and that everyone deserves to be happy.

Then there was Sirius. She always felt like she had a bone to pick with him, whether it was about his treatment of Kreacher or about the smell of cigarettes and Firewhiskey that always seems to linger on him. The night she was first introduced to Sirius Black has become a vivid memory in her brain, one that she would never forget. Sirius came a long way from that night. In time, Hermione saw how much Harry means to him, and how much Sirius meant to Harry. Sirius was his father figure in his life, and they fit together perfectly, although she can sometimes catch the sadness in his eyes when he has to remind himself that Harry is not James.

Harry is not James. James is not Harry.

She frowned when her eyes settled on messy black hair. James and Lily were Harry's missing pieces from the get go, and Hermione has known that since the very beginning of their friendship. She knew how much Harry longed for loving parents. Petunia and Vernon were sad substitutes for one. She was glad when Harry found a part of that in Sirius. She sighed, barely noticing that chairs suddenly started scraping, a sign that class just finished and everyone was making their way out to enjoy the rest of the day.

"Ms. Granger! I didn't know you were in this class!" Sirius blurted out, startling Hermione and causing her to draw a line that eerily looked like a lighting bolt across her parchment.

She cursed under her breath and Remus laughed. "I was just writing down the professor's assignment so I can work on it later," she said, quickly shuffling her papers together to make a getaway.

"Here, let me help you," Remus said, piling some of her papers together before handing it to her. He noticed on one of them the word "Wolfsbane", and stared at her with wide eyes. Hermione gasped at the realization and quickly took the papers from Remus.

"Thank you," she said before walking out the door, seamlessly blending into the rest of the students that were filling the hallways. She didn't look back, and walked straight into the library to start her shift for the day.

* * *

Hermione was making her way back to her room when she heard shuffling behind her. Instinctively, she held her wand at her side, ready to defend herself. As she neared the last corner that lead to her room, she could hear the footsteps becoming quicker. She darted around the corner and quickly cast a disillusionment charm and hid in the shadows as the person rounded the corner.

Remus shot up an eyebrow and wondered where Hermione went. He knew she just turned the corner, and this hallway lead to a dead end, so there was no where-

"Why are you following me?" she hissed, her wand jabbing into his neck, standing as if she was ready to fight.

Remus breathed heavily, hands up in the air as if he was surrendering. He looked at her, scared at first, but the fear turned into a curiosity.

"I... I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to frighten you, I just wanted to talk."

"Then why didn't you just come up to me like any normal human being?!" she shrieked. Remus scoffed, and Hermione rolled her eyes, knowing why he did that.

She lowered her wand, finally recognizing Remus was not a threat. "What did you want to talk about?"

"You're not from here, are you?" he asked, lowering his hands, and taking a step towards her. He could feel her heart beating faster, and Moony was itching to come to the surface. "Have you met me before?"

Hermione didn't know what to say. There was no getting out of this conversation. If there was one thing she knew Professor Lupin was good at, it was knowing when people were lying. She figured the heightened senses from being a werewolf has helped him become a walking lie detector. She looked into Remus' eyes, as if she was searching for something.

She sorely missed Professor Lupin every time she looked at this younger Remus. They were almost like two different people, and it really screamed at her how much the war had changed the people she knew. The times she would watch the Marauders from afar, she could see how carefree they all were, not worrying too much about the outside world and what was developing. As much as it hurt to know what would happen, she knew she couldn't risk anything, because risking anything meant risking the timeline, and there was no way to know for sure what would happen if she did something drastic.

Nevertheless, she threw caution to the wind, because she couldn't help but be friends with her werewolf.

"Come in, I'll make you some tea."

Remus stared at her for a minute, studying her face. She looked so familiar, and Moony seemed to always be at ease when he was able to be around her. When she turned around, she walked towards a hanging tapestry. It was red and gold, Gryffindor colors, and it was hanging with its ends barely touching the ground. He looked behind it and noticed no door was there, just a continuation of the stone wall.

"Chocolate Cauldrons," Hermione said towards the tapestry. Suddenly, the tapestry swirled and floated upwards, revealing a door that was never there before. Remus eyes widened as Hermione opened the door, leaving it open for Remus to follow. Remus quickly glanced to his left and right before shutting the door.

* * *

 **A/N:** I'm so sorry if this feels really short from the last chapters! I've been debating if I wanted to keep going, but I felt like this would have gotten excessively long, and I knew I haven't posted in a while. Thank you for sticking around, and I'll try to get the next chapter out faster :)


	6. Chapter 6

Remus stared at Hermione.

"So you're…"

She nodded.

"And I…"

She smiled.

"…How?"

Hermione looked down at laughed. "I never thought I would see the day where I would make you speechless. I'm actually trying to figure that part out, which is why the Headmaster has allowed me use of the library. I haven't found much though, not sure if I ever will."

Remus looked at the stack of books and endless rolls of parchment. He could tell she was doing a lot of research, and was surprised to see that she has come to a dead end. He picked up a roll and admired at how meticulous and organized her notes are.

"Will you be able to return to your time?" he asked, scanning through her notes.

A sad smile crossed her face as the realization began to hit. She knew that was always a possibility, but she would always tuck that thought away. She missed everyone, especially Harry and Ron. She didn't want to come to terms with not seeing them again, because there was always hope. The Golden Trio have gone through so much together during their time at Hogwarts, and Hermione was just not ready to accept that part of her life is over and is now her past.

"There's not much information on moving backwards in time, much less if you think about moving forward. I always knew that was a possibility, but I had to at least try," she said, wiping away her tears before they fell down her face.

Remus' heart broke for her. He could see the hurt plastered all over her face. Moony was howling inside to comfort her, but Remus kept the wolf in check.

"I'm not sure if I should have told you all of that, but seeing you and your friends…" She choked again on her tears. "I was beginning to miss my time, and when you saw me in the hallway, I felt like that was my opportunity to connect with you, and I took it."

"I swear to you on my wand that I will never tell anyone about where you came from," Remus said, unconsciously resting his hand on her knee.

She looked down at his hand and smiled, remembering how her Remus would do that as a sign of comfort and reassurance. He would always rest his hand on her knee, and when he had her attention, he would say his piece, and end with the greatest fatherly hug. She will never forget her own father, but she was eternally grateful that Remus was the man to fill that hole in her heart.

Hermione laughed and flung her arms around the werewolf, startling him for a second before wrapping his arms around her.

"I'm so glad we were able to talk," she said, exhaling and feeling like a weight was just lifted from her shoulders.

Remus inhaled and basked in her scent: fresh parchment and honey, and that need to protect grew inside of him. He knew now, though, why he was feeling so protective.

He needs to protect Hermione.

"Now that we're friends, I guess, you can always come and talk to me," he said, laughing.

Hermione let go and smiled at him. "Yes, friends, I'd really like that."

* * *

James and Sirius were flying around the Quidditch Pitch while Remus and Peter watched from the stands. Practice was long over, but the boys still wanted to get some quality flying time in. The boys were tossing the quaffle to each other, all the while experimenting with how high, low, and how far apart they could be from each other to easily score points at the next game.

Hermione silently watched from the edge of the castle. Memories of all the Quidditch games she went to came rushing back, watching Harry, and eventually Ron, fly around the pitch. She chuckled at the thought of her first Quidditch game in her first year, when her and Ron thought Professor Snape was jinxing Harry's broom.

She felt insanely guilty after realizing that is wasn't Professor Snape who was jinxing Harry's broom.

From afar, James and Harry could look like twins. His black messy hair was even noticeable to her from the place she was watching. She also noticed that he was more muscular than Harry. James was a Chaser, which helped build his muscle mass. Harry's lean figure made him perfect for his position of Seeker. Putting father and son on the same team would have been asking for a loss on a silver platter.

Watching James and Sirius fly around, and thinking about her conversation with Remus, has helped her become more acceptable to her plight. From the moment she regained her consciousness she was constantly thinking about her past, and how she shouldn't be risking anything to the timeline, because research and her logic has told her so. She realized after talking with Remus that nothing happened. Her memories were still intact and, as long as she can remember, everything that happened _still_ did happen.

Other possible theories have started to manifest in her head, but she wouldn't think about that now.

She's content watching James and Sirius fly around the pitch.

After a few more minutes, Hermione decided to return to her room and finish the research she was doing on the books she currently borrowed from the library. She decided to walk much slower than usual, taking in the scenes that were around her.

Hogwarts in 1978 was not much different than Hogwarts in 1991. The professors that she did know from her school years were noticeably younger, even Professor McGonagall. She has not seen her nearly as much as she did when she was a student, but the difference between her now and her in the future was interesting to see. The only one to seem unaffected by time was Professor Dumbledore. Although it took her a while to get used to seeing him alive again, he was the same old man with the twinkle in his eye. He still didn't give away much, and he still had his love for candy.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard footsteps behind her.

"Hello there, kitten," Sirius said, slinging his arm around Hermione.

"I don't think you should be calling me that," she replied, rolling her eyes.

He waved his hand, dismissing her statement. "What brings you out on this side of the castle? Did you know we were having quidditch practice?"

James looked at her with his broom slung over his shoulder. "Sorry mate, but if she knew, I don't think she would have come out to see you," he joked, nudging Sirius' shoulder.

Hermione giggled. Sirius felt put out. James felt his heart soar.

Remus looked on warily.

"No, I did not know there was practice. I was just walking around for some fresh air," she said, looking at James. She felt a blush rising to her cheeks and looked away.

They all walked together to the Great Hall, where the Marauders split with Hermione to go their separate ways. Once the boys were out of sight, Remus turned to Hermione.

"Are you still working on your research?" Remus asked, holding onto his book bag.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, I was actually going to work on it right now. Would you like to come by after dinner?"

"I'd be happy to," he replied, smiling. "See you later, Hermione!"

* * *

The Marauders were sitting at the Gryffindor table, inhaling the food that was in front of them. James and Peter were fighting over the treacle tart while Sirius was allowing himself a second helping of ham. Remus was pushing his mashed potatoes around his plate, his leg shaking underneath the table.

Hermione had not made it to dinner that night.

He knew she would be nose deep in all of her books, but there was just something about not seeing her that made the wolf uneasy. He could feel Moony pacing back and forth in his mind, and although Remus was also a bit worried, he knew it was nothing to panic about.

"You alright there Moony?" James asked, his mouth full of treacle tart. He saw Peter slowly reach for one and he swatted his hand away.

"I'm alright, just not very hungry tonight," he said, dropping his fork onto the plate. He pushed his plate away and got up to leave. "I think I'm going to head in early tonight. See you guys back in the dorms."

James and Sirius stared wide eyed at Remus while Peter successfully snagged the last treacle tart.

* * *

Hermione was sitting in front of the fire place, piles of books strategically placed all around her and roll after roll of parchment was spread out in front of her. Her fingers were stained black from the ink, and 2 broken quills had already been tossed aside. Her hair was sloppily put up with her wand weaved through to hold it in place. She was chewing on the end of her quill when she heard her door open. She looked towards the hallway, and smiled when she saw Remus enter from the hallway.

"Hello Remus," Hermione greeted, patting the space next to her.

Remus smiled and happily obliged, setting his book bag down next to him. "I was worried when you didn't make it to dinner tonight."

"I arranged to have the house elves bring my food here. I thought I was on to something, and I couldn't just put my book down." She picked up a book and handed it to Remus. "Read this, and tell me what you understand from that."

They sat there in silence for a few minutes as Hermione went over her notes and Remus was reading the passage in the book.

"Merlin," he whispered, putting the book down. "But.. but this has nothing to do with time travel. Why are you reading about werewolves?" Remus started to get a little nervous, but he tried not to show it.

"Because I know who you are, Remus Lupin, and I can tell when when you're not yourself. I had to know if you were being affected by my time travel." She could see the panic in his eyes, and rested her hand on his shoulder. "You are a good man, Remus, no matter your condition. I was very close with Remus in my timeline, and I suppose it must have triggered something, and now I know. I think it's amazing how that connection can still be recognized, even through time travel."

Remus stared at the girl in front of her, both amazed and terrified. Amazed because she was able to find something on werewolves that was actually substantial information and not some fear mongering propaganda. Terrified because she knows he's a werewolf, she's okay with it, and she managed to make herself a part of his pack. In his future. Which has now manifested in the past, because that's where she is now. His head was starting to spin with all this information.

"Well, now that we have that out of the way, let's start on some real research," she said, handing him another book.

Remus looked at her and laughed.

Neither of them noticed the faint shimmer of an invisibility cloak that lingered in the hallway.


	7. Chapter 7

It was the last day of the school year at Hogwarts, which marked the last time the Marauders would be leaving the school ground as students. Hermione attended the ceremony on the Quidditch pitch, then walked with the students and some of the other professors to the lake, where the fresh graduates will be taking the boats back to the train station. It was bittersweet for Hermione during this time since she wasn't able to experience this during her school years. With all the events surrounding her and her best friends, it was difficult to have a normal school year.

Some of the students who spent time in the library came up to her and said goodbye before boarding their boats. Remus was the last to bid her farewell.

"Are you still going to be at Hogwarts?" Remus asked.

"In the meantime, yes, until I can find somewhere more suitable for my work," Hermione said, sighing. "Please write when you can, it's good to have friends during times like these."

Remus smiled. "Of course, Hermione. I hope we get to see each other soon." He could feel the wolf inside howling, not wanting to be very far away from her. He stood there for a minute before turning and walking to meet the rest of the Marauders on their boat.

Hermione laughed as she watched Remus walk away. _'One day,'_ she thought. She noticed there was one boy on the boat that was staring at her.

Peter Pettigrew.

She looked at him with her brows furrowed. Peter and Hermione have barely spoken to each other, and although she severely dislikes the Peter in her time, this Peter gave her no reason to feel the same way.

As the boats started drifting away, some of the students looked back to wave at the professors. They waved back, and as the boats became smaller, they started making their way back to the castle.

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Ms. Granger?" Dumbledore asked, popping a lemon drop in his mouth.

Hermione nodded. "I don't know if I will ever be able to go back, but I want to try and help as much as I can while I'm here."

"I actually have come into contact with an old friend that works in the Ministry as an Unspeakable, and they have looked into your situation, per my request," Dumbledore said, folding his hands on top of each other on his table.

Hermione seemed a bit put off that he mentioned her situation to someone.

"They believe that, not only have you traveled back in time, but you have also traveled to the past in _another_ timeline." He paused for a moment, gauging Hermione's response. She said nothing, so he continued. "I know there are laws, Ms. Granger, but in this instance, they don't apply to you." The twinkle in his eye was evident.

Hermione was speechless. As her brain was trying to process the information she was just given, she was also trying to process the opportunities she had to help in the war, and the possibility of securing a future for all of them that did not include the Dark Lord. She sat up a bit straighter, a new wave of confidence and bravery washing over her.

"If that's the case, then it makes it all the more important that I join the Order," she said with finality.

Dumbledore smiled. "We will induct you at our next meeting."

* * *

Hermione was sitting in a separate room from the rest of the Order while Dumbledore explained her situation and who she was. She could hear voices in the room next door, and wondered who they belong to. A soft knock came to her door moments later, and Professor McGonagall peeked in to let her know to join the rest of the Order.

As she walked in, all eyes were on her.

Most were curious, some were in disbelief, and Alastor Moody just looked hostile.

She walked up to the front and stood next to Dumbledore. "Everyone, this is Hermione Granger," he said, resting his hand on her shoulder. "We will be inducting her today into the Order. Due to her special circumstance, we believe she will be of value to us during this dark time. Please note that she is also coming into the Order willingly, and she knows what is at stake."

The room was quiet as some of the Order nodded in agreement. She noticed some faces in the picture of the Order that Harry had. It was given to him by Sirius, and he had held onto it ever since that day.

She noticed Alice and Frank Longbottom, Neville's parents. It was a bit of a shock to see them sitting in the meeting. She had only seen them once, when she was at St. Mungo's, and Neville was there visiting them. They were suffering long term effects of the Cruciatus, ones that were irreversible and permanent.

She also noticed twins who had red hair and looked exactly alike. There was no doubt they had to be Gideon and Fabian Prewett, the same Prewett twins Molly would talk about so fondly. She remembered the story Molly told them about her brothers, and how they also died heroes, but far too young. They reminded her of Fred and George, and she couldn't help but wonder how alike both pairs of twins are.

Dumbledore's hand on her shoulder brought her back out of her thoughts as she looked at him and held her wand, to her side, waiting to be induced again into the Order.

"There will be no formal initiation tonight for Ms. Granger, I'm afraid, because she is already part of the Order," Dumbledore said, looking at everyone in the room. "Hermione, if you would please show me your wand."

Hermione looked confused, trying to figure out how he knew she was an Order member from her time. She didn't recall ever mentioning she was a member.

"Professor, how do you know that I was in the Order?" Hermione asked, raising her wand arm so her wand was level with Dumbedore's.

"While you were recovering from your time traveling, I inspected your belongings, and cast a few spells on your wand, and I noticed," he paused, flicking his wand towards Hermione's, causing her wand to glow. "That your wand responds to a specific spell that can only be reciprocated by a fellow Order member."

"You went through my belongings?!" Hermione asked, annoyed that this all happened while she was unconscious. She huffed as she shoved her wand back in her pocket. Moody chuckled at her reaction.

"Everyone, please welcome Hermione Granger back into the Order," he said, ignoring her question. "I believe we are done here for the night, I will let you know when we will be meeting next."

As the Order members started to leave their chairs, some stayed to talk to the new member while others left to go back home. Alice and Frank came up, as well as the Prewett twins. She also met a young lady named Marlene McKinnon, who also attended Hogwarts but graduated just before Hermione started working in the library. Heather MacDonald was also there, a familiar face she knew from one of the study groups that frequented the library. She was surprised, though, that she was inducted right after graduation.

Heather and Hermione were the last to leave, Heather disapparating to the country side while Hermione took to the streets to walk back to the Three Broomsticks. While school was out, she decided she did not want to be seeing empty hallways for the next few months, so she asked Madam Rosmerta if her old room was still available. Luckily it was, and she waived her payment again, frustrating the younger witch. She still had access to the school grounds and library at any time.

She was turning the corner when she heard laughing, and saw familiar, unkept hair and glasses.

"We're going to be the best Aurors the Ministry's got! Isn't that right, Pads?" James said, clinking his mug of butterbeer with Sirius.

"Damn right we will!" Sirius shouted, gulping his butterbeer down. Remus sat next to Sirius, his hand covering his face.

Hermione shook her head, watching from afar. She noticed suddenly Remus turned to look at her, and she waved. Remus waved back, smiling.

"Ms. Granger!" Sirius shouted, standing up and opening his arms wide, as if waiting for a hug. James laughed and Remus groaned, embarrassed for Hermione.

Hermione rolled her eyes, walking up to their table. "You can call me Hermione now, I guess," she said, crossing her arms. She noticed only three out of the four chairs were occupied. The fourth - which would have been for Peter - was empty, and James patted his hand on the seat, signaling Hermione to sit down.

"Hermione, I like the sound of that," Sirius said, taking another sip from his mug.

"Hermione," James said, slowly, looking at her. It was a beautiful name, and one he knew he would never forget.

Hermione blushed when she realized she was staring at James as he said her name. "So what's the occasion tonight?" she asked, looking around the table.

"No occasion, Kitten," Sirius said. "Just a few blokes out having a drink. Speaking of," he nudged Remus with his shoulder. "Remus, would you kindly escort me to the bar so that I may get us another round? One for the lady too," he said, winking at her.

If Hermione rolled her eyes even more, she was sure they would fall out of her eye sockets.

Once Remus and Sirius had made it to the bar, Hermione and James looked at each other.

Every time Hermione would look at James, she couldn't help but think about Harry. They were so much like each other that it was hard to remember that James was his father. Before she could register what was going on, her hand made its way to James' hair, carding her fingers through his unruly black hair. James sighed, almost melting at her touch.

"I'm so sorry, I don't know why I did that," she said, hiding her hand in embarrassment.

James smiled, making her heart skipping a beat. "It's alright, that actually felt very nice," he said, sticking his hand out for her to shake. "It's nice to meet you again, Hermione."

She took his hand and shook it, and noticed he squeezed just a bit tighter this time. "Pleasure," she said, smiling.

"Oi, James! Trying to butter her up, are you? Remember what happened to Evans?" Sirius said, passing around the butterbeers.

James pouted. "Yes, Sirius," he said sharply. "I'll have you know that we did go on multiple dates, or have you forgotten that?" he asked, taking a sip from his mug. "It was nice while it lasted."

"While it lasted?" Hermione asked. She thought back to when her, and Harry were sitting with Remus and Sirius while they were telling them about the story of James and Lily.

"Yeah, I've been trying for years to get her to go on a date with me, but after a few dates, we just didn't really work out," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

Hermione was suddenly curious. "What happened? I remember you two at Hogwarts," she asked, holding her butter beer.

 _'There's no way they can just split like that. They're supppsed to be in love,'_ she thought, taking a sip and waiting for him to answer.

"She's beautiful no doubt, and a brain to boot, but it just didn't work out," he said, and Hermione could tell he was still sad about the whole situation, as much as he tried to hide it. "Besides, she still friends with Snivellus, that greasy git," James said, his face scrunching up in disgust.

Hermione looked at him, disappointed, "They have been friends for a long time. Surely you must understand that it can be hard for someone to end a friendship that has lasted for so long." She looked into her mug, hoping she can repair whatever has happened between James and Lily.

James looked at her curiously. "How do you know about Evans and Snape?"

Hermione shrugged. "You hear a lot of talk in the library," she said, taking a sip of her butterbeer. Although it was partially true, she knew about Severus and Lily's friendship from Professor Lupin.

Before anyone else could say a word, four cloaked figures made their way onto the patio area where Hermione and the Marauders were sitting. One of the figures pointed their wand at an innocent bystander, green light emerging from the tip and hitting the man square in the chest. The man fell lifeless onto the floor as the rest of his friends either ran away or stood to fight.

Hermione immediately got up from her seat and faced the Death Eaters. One of them turned to face her and threw a slicing hex, but was too slow as it bounced off of her shields. James stood next to her as Sirius and Remus ran to the other people trying to escape the fight, shielding them as they ran to safety.

Hermione and James fought side by side, sending spell after spell, trying to weaken the Death Eaters. James cast a body bind curse on one of them, but it was easily deflected back and went straight towards Hermione. The spell hit her shields hard, almost completely destroying it.

"Crucio!" one of the Death Eaters yelled, pointing their wand at James.

As if time slowed down for her, Hermione could see the spell making its way through the summer air and on its way to James. The Cruciatus looked menacing, a red flash of light, seemingly melting the air to make its way to its target.

"James!" Hermione yelled, pushing him away and taking the Cruciatus straight to her chest.

It was an all too familiar feeling for her, but it was one she did not want to relive, ever. She began to have flashbacks to when she was at Malfoy Manor, being held hostage by Bellatrix while Harry and Ron were below her, helpless. Her body convulsed as she screamed at the searing pain that made its way through her whole body. Her eyes screwed shut as she could feel her nerve endings get rattled, her hands shaking and her head pounding. When the pain became manageable, she opened her eyes and got on her hands and knees, attempting to stand and fight again.

By the time she regained her bearings, she noticed people were apparating into the fight – Aurors. Within minutes, the Death Eaters were surrounded by Aurors, ready to send them to Azkaban. After the Death Eaters were sent away, James and Hermione were questioned, and were soon released once the Aurors believed they were not in line with them. Hermione declined to get treatment for her injuries, and insisted that she can heal herself.

James walked away with several scratches that scattered his face and arms. Some of his clothes were torn, and his face dirty, but nothing too serious. Hermione was limping as they walked away, holding her stomach and wiping her tears away. She had blood running down the side of her face, likely from when she fell from the Cruciatus.

"Hermione," James said softly, stopping to let her lean against a brick wall. "Where did you learn how to fight like that?" he asked, looking at her eyes.

He saw something in there he just couldn't understand. It was as if she has been through something like this before. She had a look of fear and determination all rolled into one. She looked experienced and hardened, like a veteran of war. This wasn't the quiet, innocent Hermione Granger he knew in Hogwarts. This was a totally different Hermione Granger, one that he wanted to know and wanted to protect. She did so for him when he knew she didn't have to, and she saved him from an Unforgivable, of all things. He could only speculate what would have happened next if it hit him.

"Just do one thing for me," she said, pushing off of the wall and grabbing onto his shoulders. "Stay safe. You, Remus, and Sirius. Protect each other," she said, her eyes welling up with tears. She looked up at his hair, messy as ever. Even more so now after their little round with the Death Eaters. She bit her lip as she carded her fingers through his hair like before, attempting to bring it back to order.

"Hermione," James sighed, one hand landing on her waist and the other cupping her cheek. He couldn't tell if this was just his adrenaline rushing through him or if he was meant to do this, but he just wanted to understand her and why she said that. He knew there was a war coming, anyone could see that, but why would she specifically say to keep himself and his two friends safe?

Hermione stepped back, his hands dropping to his side. "Protect each other," she said again, before apparating to Hogwarts to talk to Dumbledore.


	8. Chapter 8

Hermione and Remus were sitting in the library, trying to dig up whatever they can on time travel. After her fight with the Death Eaters, and a conversation with Dumbledore that went absolutely nowhere, Hermione wanted to know what it really means for her to be in this timeline, and if there was any truth to what the Unspeakable told Dumbledore. Although she always admired and respected the Headmaster, she knew some of the things that Ron said while he was possessed by the horcrux had some truth to it. It seemed as though he only left them breadcrumbs, and they weren't lined up and leading anywhere. With the summer holidays in full swing, it was easier for both of them to roam through the many aisles, spreading the books out, and for Hermione, accessing the restricted section without curious eyes looking at her.

"Have you found anything?" Hermione asked, setting a book down and looking over Remus' shoulder.

Remus sighed. "Not much from what we already know. What if he's right though, Hermione? What if there is no way to return you to your time?"

Hermione almost started to panic, thinking about not going back to Harry, Ron, and the rest of her friends. She thought of everyone else that was putting their life on the line for this war.

"I don't belong here," she said, sadly. "I... I think we should stop for today. I have some things I need to think about."

Remus nodded as he softly closed the book in front of him. He stood and hugged Hermione, who returned the gesture, inhaling his scent.

"You'll always have a friend in me while you're here. I'm sure James, Sirius, and Peter feel the same way," he said.

Hermione stiffened for a brief moment when he said Peter, but if Remus noticed, he didn't acknowledge it. Her mind thought of the mischievous Sirius Black, and James Potter standing beside her as they fought the Death Eaters. She did have friends here, whether she wanted to acknowledge that fact or not. She was so distracted by trying to not alter the timeline that she didn't realize how much it has already changed.

There was a lot she had to think about.

* * *

 _Earlier that day_

"Professor, would I have already risked changing the future just by the mere fact that I am physically here?" Hermione asked Dumbledore.

She wanted to make a difference, but she also didn't want to risk making any changes that would affect the future. Her timeline, as chaotic and crazy as it is, was precious to her, and she wouldn't want to trade it for anything else.

Dumbledore gave a small nod, stroking his beard. "Yes, I believe that would, but that is not the case for you."

Hermione blinked. "Professor," she said, slowly. "Are you saying-" her voice caught in her throat, the words unable to form and come out of her.

"Unfortunately yes, Ms. Granger. We were able to collect what was left of the time turner you were wearing the day that you arrived from Madame Pompfrey, and I trusted it with a good friend who works as an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries. Based on the damage done, the time turner was not able to withstand this dimension, or universe, whatever you want to call it." Dumbledore rose from his chair and walked around to Hermione, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Do you understand what has happened?"

 _'Of course I do,'_ she thought, her memory bringing her back to her third year when she was approved for said time turner. She had stumbled upon a theory that, if set up correctly, a time turner could actually send the witch or wizard across different dimensions, not just through time. "I didn't think this was possible, I had read about it, but-"

Dumbledore chuckled. "No one thought it was possible, but you have proved them wrong. The Department of Mysteries is quite busy nowadays."

A single tear fell from her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away as if it offended her. "No matter now, at least I can give you guys a fighting chance against Voldemort."

Dumbledore released his hand from her shoulder. "Your memories will stay with you, no matter what happens here. I hope you can find peace in at least knowing that."

Hermione was silent for a moment while she tried to come to terms with the information that was just laid on her lap. According to what she heard, there was no way that she would be able to travel forward in time. She has left one war to land in another, and not by her own accord. Her friends wouldn't know her here, at least not in the same way that she knew them in her timeline. Regardless, Voldemort was still out there, still as dangerous. She blinked quickly, pushing her thoughts and emotions to the back of her mind.

"Right," she said, nodding. "Well, we have a lot of work to do, Professor."

* * *

"I must say, I am surprised you four are here in my office for something other than being caught in one of your many pranks," Professor McGonagall said, eyeing each of the Marauders. When Remus left to see the boys after helping with Hermione, he was met with an intervention of sorts from James, Sirius, and a quivering Peter.

James wanted to know more about the girl. Sirius wanted to know how Remus could spend more time with him. Peter wanted to know how to not get coerced into these interventions again. Remus told them to talk to the mysterious girl herself if they were so curious. James then proceeded to owl Hermione, to which he got a simple response:

 _Join the Order._

James knew about the order through his parents, who were both members. While the Marauders always wanted to be a part of the Order, they knew that they were not able to join while they were still students. Now that they were out of school, though, they had every right to join the Order if they wanted to.

"We wanted to ask you about the Order of the Phoenix, professor," James said.

Professor McGonagall pursed her lips. "Your parents were in the Order, were they not? What else is there you'd like to know, Mr. Potter?"

"We want to join," he replied. "Hermione Granger. I need to talk to her."

Remus stiffened when James said her name. He looked over at James, his hands balled into fists, then to Professor McGonagall, lips still pursed, but looking like she was in thought.

"I will speak to the Headmaster," she said, crossing her arms. "That is not my decision to make."

James nodded, and the Marauders and Professor McGonagall exited the room and made their way to the Headmaster's office. Once they were in front of the gargoyle, the professor turned sharply towards the three men.

"You shall wait here while I talk to the Headmaster," she said, eyeing the three of them.

"Aw come on, Minnie!" Sirius said, winking at her. "Do you really think we would do such childish things, now that we're grown men?"

She stared at Sirius for a long, hard minute.

"Yes," she flatly replied, before turning and giving the password to the Headmaster's office.

James, Remus, and Peter laughed. "I don't think she's going to give in mate," Remus said, catching his breath.

"One day I will capture her heart!" Sirius said as the gargoyle started turning again.

Hermione's eyes locked with James' as she took a step out of the stairwell. Her fists, previously clenched from her talk with Dumbledore, started to relax, along with her shoulders. There was something stirring inside of her that she couldn't understand. She could feel her heart beating faster as his smile grew wider. "James," she breathed.

She then looked at Remus, her beacon of hope, and the only one so far that she was able to open herself up to. Remus was always someone she felt comfortable with, someone she could confide in. She felt safe, which was something she needed right now.

Sirius was bouncing on the balls of his feet, as if he knew something was going on and couldn't tell anyone. His eyes darted between Hermione, Remus, and James, noticing at how James couldn't stop staring, and Remus looked worried. He was just as curious about her, itching to know what she was all about.

Then there was Peter. There wasn't much Hermione could say about Peter. She never saw him much in school, and her only solid memory of the Marauder was his eventual outing as Scabbers and then being caught as the traitor who gave away James and Lily's location. She wanted to pity Peter, but she couldn't find herself to because of what he's done in her timeline.

That's all that is now. _Her_ timeline. There was no way back to where she was, but this unfortunate circumstance has given her the unique opportunity to end things before they even start. She would be able to give her friends the normal life they all ever wanted.

 _Harry would have his parents._

But Lily isn't in the picture anymore. How would there be a Harry if there was no James and Lily? She looked at James again, her heart breaking.

"Hermione," James said, smiling at her. "Long time no see!"

Hermione smiled. "At least we're not fighting Death Eaters this time," she laughed. "Are you here because of my letter?"

Three out of the four Marauders nodded. Hermione's heart swelled, hope filling her with happiness. She lunged forward, wrapping her arms around James.

James eyes went wide, but his arms automatically went around her waist, as if they were two pieces of a puzzle. She fit perfectly in his quidditch built frame, and his arms wrapped perfectly around her slim body.

Her familiar scent of parchment and honey invaded his nostrils, to which he didn't complain.

"Thank Merlin you listened to me," she said, letting go and hugging Remus. Sirius hugged both of them, making her laugh. She looked at Peter, who just nervously waved, and she gave a slight nod.

"Hermione," Remus said, looking at her curiously.

"Don't worry Remus, I'll explain everything when you're done here." She looked at James, hope in her eyes. "Meet me on the seventh floor."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N** : I hope everyone had a great holiday season! I'm so sorry this took forever! But I made it extra long, so I hope that makes up for the long wait :) I probably should put "slow to update" for this, but I promise to see it all the way through!

* * *

Hermione stood at the top of the stairs that lead to the seventh floor, looking down as if the boys would be right behind her. She knew they would be in the Headmaster's office for some time, which gave her a few minutes to collect her thoughts. She was still trying to come to terms with the realization that she was not going to return to her own timeline, but also knowing that she would be able to help instead of just sitting around almost made up for the "alternate universe" realization.

Almost.

Although she would be able to help defeat Voldemort on his first go-around, there wasn't any certainty that she would still see her friends in this timeline. Would this Ron be just like her Ron? What about Neville, Luna, or even Draco Malfoy?

If James and Lily were not together, what would happen to her best friend, Harry?

There were so many facets of her former life that would undoubtedly be different here, as she's already come to realize. She sighed, knowing that she would have to accept what has happened to her. She had to focus on the here and now, on defeating Voldemort. She knew the knowledge she possessed would make her of great value, but could also put the Order at a great disadvantage if she was ever to get caught by one of the Death Eaters. She turned and sat on the top stair, leaning her head against the wall as her fingers drifted aimlessly over her arm where Bellatrix made her mark.

She could feel tears streaming down her face, finally letting her emotions get the best of her instead of keeping them tucked away. She needed this, she thought to herself. She needed to cry for what she felt like she lost in order to be of any use to the Order and to the Marauders.

"I'm sorry, Harry," she whispered, wiping her tears away.

She could faintly hear the echoes of the Marauders making their way up to where she was at. She wiped the rest of her tears away, standing to greet them once they turned the corner. She took a deep breath to calm herself before seeing James, Remus, and Sirius.

"Are you in?" she asked, her hand once again holding onto the scar on her arm.

"Yes," Remus replied. "Dumbledore said we would be inducted officially at the next meeting."

Hermione nodded, her face determined. "Follow me," she said, turning to walk down the hallway to look for Barnabas the Barmy.

The three boys followed, curious as to where Hermione would be taking them. When they got to the tapestry, James noticed Hermione smile softly, before turning around to face a brick wall. She started to pace in front of the wall, her hands behind her back.

"Hermione," James said slowly. "What's going on here?"

Suddenly, a door appeared where there was once a wall, and Hermione smiled again, turning the door knob. "Come in," she said, opening the door and walking inside.

"Merlin," Sirius said in absolute awe. "How did we not know about this?! It's not even on the map!"

Sirius walked in first, followed by Remus then James. They were quite confused when they walked into the Gryffindor common room.

"I don't understand," Remus said, touching the familiar couch. "The common room is-"

"Yes Remus, you are correct," Hermione said, sitting on a chair, close to the fireplace. "This is merely a replica of the real common room. I've asked the castle for somewhere that was common to all of us that would be the most comfortable."

The three sat on the couch, looking at the mysterious girl. Sirius was still looking around, amazed that a room had the ability to do this. James was studying Hermione's face: each freckle, wrinkle, the way her eyes looked when she smiled, the way her nose scrunched up when she had an itch. Remus looked the most concerned, knowing what she was about to divulge to the three of them.

"Where's Peter?" Hermione asked, although she most likely knew why he wasn't here.

"He said he had to go home right away, something about his Aunt," Sirius said.

"Right," Hermione said, although she knew he really wasn't going home. 'No turning back now,' she thought to herself as she sat up straight. "There's a reason I asked you all to meet me here." She eyed them one by one. "Before I explain, I need you all to take a wizard's oath. I need you all to promise me that you will not repeat what I say to anyone. No one else can know."

James, Remus, and Sirius all pulled their wands out of their pockets. "I'll do it, but why do we have to take an oath?" James asked.

"Because if anyone else finds out about me and the knowledge that I have, specifically a certain Dark Lord-" Sirius gasped, piecing everything together. "Then I might as well be dead. I'd die rather than be handed over to Voldemort, but considering what Dumbledore must have just told you," she paused to look at Remus, who nodded in confirmation. "I need to be as honest as I can before we proceed."

The next hour and a half was filled with Hermione's stories of when she was a student at Hogwarts. She told them about the troll, the basilisk, and Voldemort's second uprising. She told them about her friends and the lives that have already been lost to the war. She told them about Harry and Ron, but did not tell them about Harry being James and Lily's son.

"There's one more thing," she said, her voice shaking as she rolled up her sleeve. "Finite," she whispered, and the glamour charm she had on her arm disappeared showing the word "Mudblood" carved into her arm.

Sirius growled when he saw the scar. "Who did that to you?" he asked, his hands balled into fists.

"Bellatrix Lestrange," she said, shakily. "Harry, Ron, and I were caught by the Snatchers, and were taken hostage. There was something I had that she thought I took from her vault." She pushed her sleeve down to cover the scar. "That was my punishment." She had an empty look in her eyes, remembering that night. "That was also the night that I thought I had died."

"Died?" James asked.

"While I was being tortured, Harry and Ron were downstairs, locked up somewhere. They were able to escape, and were coming up to rescue me, when a chandelier came crashing down on me. When I woke up, I was here." She ran her hand down the length of her scar. "That was my last memory of my time. I know this all sounds bizarre, but I can stop all this."

Sirius couldn't stop staring at Hermione's arm. He was furious that someone in his family could do that to her. It solidified in his heart more just how much he was not like the rest of the family, with their pureblood traditions and anti-muggleborn beliefs. He hasn't known Hermione for long, but has known for long enough that she meant a great deal to his other friends. His hands balled into tight fists as he rose from his seat and started pacing the room.

"Sirius?" Remus asked, trying to calm him down. "Are you alright?"

"It's that scar," he said through gritted teeth. "I can't believe my own cousin-"

"Sirius, it's fine," Hermione said, stopping his rant. "I wasn't going to jeopardize our mission, I had to-" she rested her hand on her scar. "I had to do what I had to.. to make sure Ron and Harry were safe. I'd do anything for them."

"And what about us?!" he asked, hysterically. "You barely know us, and you took that cruciatus for James!"

"And I would do it again," she said with conviction. James stared at her in awe. "I don't want to say much right now, but I know you all are crucial to Voldemort and his defeat. With any luck, I'll do better than what happened in my time, and we can make sure he never comes back."

Sirius ran his hand through his hair, sighing heavily. "I need a minute," he said, walking out the door. Hermione looked over to Remus, who nodded in understanding, and followed Sirius out the door.

Once the door clicked closed, Hermione slumped down on the couch next to James. He looked down at her scarred arm, holding it delicately as he peeled the sleeve back. Her scar looked almost angry, still scabbing on the thicker parts and red all around. He ran his fingers over the letters, anger swelling up inside of him.

"It's fine, James," she said, softly. "It's just a-"

"Don't even finish that sentence." He traced his finger over the M. "Will these ever go away?"

She shook her head sadly. "The blade that Bellatrix used was a cursed blade. I will have this scar with me for the rest of my life."

James' lips pursed and his eyebrows furrowed, fighting the urge to say what he wanted. He was so angry, yet amazed at the same time at what Hermione had gone through. He wanted to make her scar go away, and he didn't want her to go through another war. He wanted to protect her.

"Did you know us during your time?" James asked, still absentmindedly stroking her scar.

Hermione seemed to relax at his ministrations, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Yes and no, but I can't tell you anything else. I don't want to jeopardize anything."

"I understand. Either way, we will be here and with you, until the very end," James said, pulling her sleeve down to cover the scar. As he made to stand, she did too and pulled him into a hug. Her arms wrapped around his neck tightly, her face nuzzled into the crook of his neck. His arms came around her waist, the side of his face resting against her bushy hair.

"Thank you," she whispered, her breath creating goosebumps on his skin.

"You took a cruciatus for me. I should be thanking you," James laughed. Hermione laughed as well as they both let go of each other. "Come on, lets see what happened to the other two."

* * *

For the first time since she had woken up, Hermione felt some sense of peace and belonging within herself. After her talk with the Marauders and their willingness to bring her into their group, she started to feel more relaxed. After their discussion in the Room of Requirement, the boys would owl her often to see how she was doing and if she wanted to join them wherever they went. She took up on their offer a few times, mostly for lunch or dinner at the Three Broomsticks and a quick visit to either Zonkos or Honeydukes.

Her nights alone in her rooms were much different. She barely slept, being awaken by horrible nightmares that usually involved Bellatrix and a falling chandelier. She still worried about Harry, Ron, and all of her friends, and what came after her disappearance. Did they make it out of Malfoy Manor? Was Harry able to defeat Voldemort? She tried to not think about it much, because it would distract her from the here and now, and she didn't want to risk anything in being able to stop the Dark Lord the first time.

She was lost in these thoughts one night when her fireplace roared to life and she saw Remus' face.

"Remus?" she said, confused. "How were you able to connect to my room?"

Remus looked a bit guilty. "You can blame James. He asked Dumbledore to connect you to our apartment."

Hermione rested her hands on her waist, although she knew Remus couldn't see her annoyed stance. "Apartment? You three are living together I assume?" She could only imagine the condition their apartment must be in.

"We just moved in, would you like to come and take a look?" he asked, a grin on his face.

"Yes, of course! I will be right over," she said, turning away.

"Wait, Kitten!" Sirius yelled, the fireplace roaring to life again.

Hermione shuddered at the name he used.

"When you come through, say The Den!" he said. Hermione could hear him snickering and Remus groaning in the background.

The fireplace calmed to a small fire once again as she went into her bedroom to find a sweater. She slipped on her sneakers then made her way to the fireplace, picking up some floo powder, and willed herself not to laugh when she yelled out "The Den!"

She swirled in place and felt the tug of the floo network bring her from her room at Hogwarts to the boys' apartment, stumbling out of their fireplace. After she dusted herself off, she noticed that their living room was set up in a familiar style.

It was almost an exact replica of the Gryffindor common room, except there was no stairs to lead them to their dorm rooms, but an open kitchen and a hallway that lead to their bedrooms. The couch and chairs were littered with boxes, some open and some that haven't been touched. There were also several boxes on the kitchen counter.

"Pads! Where is my trunk?" James yelled, coming out of the hallway in nothing but his quidditch training pants. He was taken aback by Hermiones presence, not expecting to see her in the middle of their living room.

Hermione's mouth hung open as she took in the sight of James. She knew James was muscular thanks to his quidditch days, but she never saw how much. He had a muscular, toned body, but not to the point where it was too much. His muscles were defined just enough for her to see the lines were the muscle turned, even on his abdomen. His six pack was subtly defined, just enough for her to count each of them.

"Oh! Hermione! I didn't know you were coming!" James said, completely failing to cover himself up.

Hermione waved her hand, laughing at him putting his hands over his chest. "Clearly you boys need help. Do you want me to help you unpack?"

"Yes!" they both heard from the hallway. Hermione laughed as she made her way to the kitchen. James smiled as she passed him, then made his way back to his room.

For the next hour, Hermione set herself to work unpacking any box that was in her line of sight. She charmed the dishes, pots, and pans (what little they had) to clean themselves and then be put away in the various cupboards. She set the charm on the cooling cabinet that she learned from Molly when they were staying at Grimmauld place, and put away some of the food that the boys had. Once the kitchen was well on its way to being put together, she started on the boxes that laid about around the living room. Most were books, pictures, and various trinkets and decorations from their old rooms that they wanted to bring to The Den. The books were catalogued accordingly and set on the tall bookshelf that was next to the fireplace. There were pictures of the boys from their time in school, which she decided to place on top of the mantle.

The last picture she set was one of the four boys, they were all smiling and laughing, arms around each other's shoulders. Sirius had Peter in a headlock, rubbing his knuckles over his head. James laughed and Remus shook his head. Tears came to her eyes as she remembered her friends and a time when they were happy, young, and free. She missed her friends dearly. They were all she had, and now they were just in her memory.

"There, there, Kitten," Sirius said as he turned her around and hugged her tight.

Hermione huffed through her tears. "You need to stop calling me that."

Sirius shushed her. "I know we're not the same as your friends, but we're here for you. We want to be your friends too," he said, holding onto her a bit tighter. "Stay here for tonight."

Hermione thought about his offer. She could easily just floo back to her room, but did she really want to have another night alone with her nightmares?

"Come on, Kitten. It might do you some good to be around people again," Sirius said, stroking her back.

"Okay, only if you stop calling me Kitten," she laughed, pulling herself away. Sirius just gave her a wink before running off to his room.

"You can stay in my room tonight," he said, coming out with a pillow and blanket for himself.

Hermione shook her head. "Absolutely not. You just moved in, you should sleep in your room. I'll be fine out here," she said with finality, trying to take the pillow and blanket from Sirius.

They went back and forth for another five minutes before Hermione used a tone with her voice that would have had Harry and Ron running. Sirius reluctantly surrendered his pillow and blanket to the stubborn witch, and made it very clear to her that she could come and wake him if she changed her mind.

* * *

It was the middle of the night and James couldn't keep himself asleep. He tossed and turned but could not find a comfortable position. He opened his eyes in frustration and decided he should make himself something to eat. He chalked his restlessness to the new apartment, and he just needed to get used to it.

He walked into the dark hallway and noticed a faint glimmer coming from the fireplace. It was odd for the fire to be burning this late at night, and when he looked over the back of the couch, he was surprised to see Hermione also tossing and turning and - were those tears? Was she screaming? It took James a minute to realize she had casted a muffliato charm so the boys wouldn't hear her screaming.

"Remus! Sirius! Come out here quick!" James yelled, knocking on their door. Both came out, wands at the ready and following James to the silently screaming Hermione. Sirius froze in place as Remus instinctively took a few steps closer.

"Finite" he whispered, and they all heard her cries and screams.

They heard her plead for help, for Harry, for Ron. They heard her scream for her mom and dad, apologizing to them profusely. The tears kept streaming down her face and her face was scrunched up like she was in pain.

Remus picked her up, trying to calm her down, but he couldn't get her out of it.

"Remus, let me," James said, holding his arms out.

Surprisingly, Remus took a step back, holding Hermione tighter. "No," he growled, which the boys knew was out of Remus' character.

"Moony, it's okay, we just want to take care of her," James said, putting his hands up to show he was not a threat. He couldn't understand why Moony was acting this way, the full moon wasn't for another 2 weeks.

Remus' nostrils flared as he stared at James. Both James and Sirius could see that Moony and Remus were fighting each other. The color of his eyes flickered before finally settling on familiar brown. James stepped forward and took the crying Hermione in his arms and brought her to his room.


	10. Chapter 10

The side of Hermione's face began to warm up as the sun filtered in through the bedroom window. She groaned, turning around and hooking her arm and leg over someone, nuzzling into their chest.

Wait.

Hermione eyes snapped open and looked up at James' face. Questions began to fill her mind as two issues registered on her face: she did not wake up where she fell asleep, and this was the first night in a long time that she slept and actually feltsomewhat rested. She quietly berated herself for not having sufficient enough charms to hide her nightmares.

"What did you hear last night?" she asked James, her voice still heavy with sleep.

"Harry, Ron, your parents, lots of crying," James listed casually. "Honestly, Hermione, that was painful to watch. You looked so hurt and we couldn't do anything to help you. You wouldn't wake up. Remus-" James stopped himself for a minute, deciding at the last minute to not share the small bout with Moony. "Remus was the one that cancelled your charm, but I was the one that found you."

"Gods, I'm so sorry for waking you all up, I know I should have went home but Sirius can be stubborn sometimes," Hermione said, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. Although she had told them all she could about what happened in her time, there were still things she had kept to herself, and she was worried she may have said something that she never intended to tell them. "Did I say anything specific?" she asked hesitantly.

James shook his head. "No, just rambled off a bunch of names," he said, sitting up next to her. "Do you have those nightmares every night?" he asked, looking down at her small hands as he held them in his.

"Yes," she said, her voice cracking. It was her nightly reminder of what she left behind and what she won't get to experience anymore. They were more manageable in the beginning, but as she was able to let go and focus on the war that was happening currently, her mind started to bring her to dark places she never knew existed within her. She figured it was a byproduct of being tortured by Bellatrix, and she needed to find some way to bear with it for the rest of her life.

James rubbed small circles with his thumbs on the back of her hands as he watched her try to will away the tears that threatened to fall. One small tear fell, and he swiped it away with his thumb. He brought his lips to the top of her head, breathing in her scent. Hermione leaned into his shoulder, silently crying. He let her cry for however long she needed, stroking her back with his fingers.

She cried in embarrassment, hurt, and sadness. As she finally calmed down, she promised herself she would do better next time. When the tears finally stopped, James took her from the bed and brought her into the kitchen for breakfast. Remus and Sirius were already there, and motioned for her to sit between them as James made both of their plates.

"How did you sleep last night?" Remus asked, looking at Hermione then darting his eyes over to James.

"I actually slept really good," she said, sighing in relief. "I'm sorry for waking you all up. You shouldn't have seen that." Hermione looked down at the table, her cheeks slightly flushed in embarrassment. "I should probably head back to the castle after breakfast."

"Are you sure you will be okay by yourself?" Remus asked, his voice laced with concern.

Hermione smiled warmly, reaching over and giving Remus' hand a small squeeze. "I'll be fine, I'll probably be in and out of Dumbledore's office all day and then possibly some light reading."

"Really, kitten?" Sirius scoffed. "Light reading?" He brought his coffee up to his lips, eyes laughing at how she cringed at her pet name.

Hermione rolled her eyes and chose not to respond, knowing Sirius was doing it to rile her up and then to convince her to stay. She knew she couldn't, not with what she had already planned for today. She took her plate from James, mouthing him a "thank you" before sitting contently, picking at her plate and listening to the three Marauders banter with each other.

There was a fourth that she noticed was very absent from the group. She only saw him during their time at school, but after they were done, she noticed how he had distanced himself from the group. So many thoughts swam in her mind trying to justify his sudden disappearance.

As she finished her last bite, she took her plate, along with everyone else's, and put them in the sink. Sirius winked at her as he pulled out his wand and gave it a subtle flick, making the dishes clean themselves. She laughed as he walked over to the couch where she had her things, and grabbed a handful of floo powder.

"I'll come back here when I'm finished," she called over her shoulder, quickly throwing the powder down, calling for her home.

"She's a quick one, isn't she?" Sirius asked, looking at Remus and James.

Remus chuckled, looking over at James. "Everything alright, James?"

James gave a small smile. "Everything's fine. Just-" His mind drifted to Hermione, and his words got stuck in this throat. "Hermione...she's... it feels like-"

"She's one of us? Like we're whole?" Remus supplied.

James eyes widened, but nodded in agreement.

"That would explain why Moony has been behaving the way he has," Remus sighed. "Although I don't know why she would feel like the missing piece when I feel like we barely know her."

"She's a mystery," Sirius said, looking at the now empty fireplace.


End file.
